Tobacco pipe holder



Aug. 15, 1967 P. .H.v|cKERY I 3,335,732

TOBACCO PIPE HOLDER Filed March 22, 1 965 INVENTOR.

PHIL/P H. V/CKERY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,335,732 TOBACCO PIPE HOLDER Philip H. Vickery, 980 Clayton Drive, Lancaster, Ohio 43130 Filed Mar. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 441,530 6 Claims. (Cl. 131-260) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention consists of a support for a tobacco bowl consisting of a single piece of resilient wire formed in curves and loops in such a fashion that it will serve as a clamp holding a tobacco pipe in a bowl-up position by resiliently grasping the bowl while supporting the same upon a flat horizontal surface. In addition, the holder is so fashioned that it may also resiliently be clamped on an edge of a wall of an ash tray while holding the pipe in a similar bowl-up posit-ion, with the bowl portion of the pipe positioned within the tray.

This invention relates to a pipe support for use by pipe smokers, said support being adapted for use in combination with an ash tray, or alternatively being adapted to rest on a flat surface such as a table top.

Pipe supports have become common accessories for use by pipe smokers. In many instances, such supports serve to hold pipes in an orderly and tidy manner between periods of use. During periods of use the holders serve to prevent tobacco ashes, particularly hot ashes, from spilling out of the pipe and onto furniture, rugs, or the like. An additional important function of such holders is to prevent the mouth end of the pipe stem from touching a surface where it might become contaminated.

An important consideration in the manufacture of a pipe support, other than the question of its function, is

the question of cost. In this connection, an important contribution to the art consists of the suggestion to use for a pipe support a single piece of wire bent into a suitable shape to form, for example, supporting legs, a bowl support portion, and a stem support portion. The workers of the art have suggested a variety of such single wire pipe holders. For example, Mclntire, in US. Patent No. 1,563,210, issued Nov. 24, 1925, describes a pipe holder formed from a single piece of wire which is bent to form legs, an outwardly bowed portion to serve as a prop for the pipe bowl, and a restricted bow portion to serve as a prop for the pipe stem. Similarly, Caldwell, in United States Patent No. 1,695,533, issued Dec. 18, 1928, describes a single wire pipe support attached to a base member.

Other supports have been constructed in combination with ash trays. For example, Caldwell, in United States Patent No. 1,727,582, describes a pipe support made from a wire which extends across an ash tray and which is looped at its ends to snap over the periphery of the ash tray.

OBJECTS It is an object of this invention to provide an improved single wire pipe holder.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable pipe holder which can be removably attached to an ash tray or which can stand alone on a flat surface "ice tobacco tars and saliva will not drain toward the month end of the stem. For example, to provide a pipe support which during periods of pipe use holds the axis of a cylindrical bowl at about 60 degrees from horizontal and holds a straight pipe stern about 30 degrees from horizontal is a specific objective of my invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable pipe holder which, when standing alone on a fiat surface such as a shelf or desk or table and when holding a pipe between periods of use, holds the pipe in a position wherein it occupies nearly a minimum of surface area; that is, when the pipe is supported in the holder placed on a fiat surface, then the pipe between periods of use can be held in a substantially more vertical posit-ion than a pipe during periods of use. For example, it is a specific object to provide a pipe support which whensupporting a pipe on a flat surface between periods of pipe use holds a straight pipe stem at an angle of about 50-80 degrees from the horizontal.

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein my invention is illustrated.

I have now found that tht foregoing and related objects can be secured in a single wire pipe support comprising (1) a pipe stem prop means comprising a Ushaped portion of said wire, said U portion positioned near the top rear of said structure; (2) a pipe bowl prop means comprising two concave-upwardly arcuate substantially parallel and spaced portions of said wire, said bowl prop means being spaced downward from and forward of said stern prop means; (3) clamping means comprising two pairs of spaced substantially vertical and parallel wire portions, each of said pair of wire portions being spaced from the other of said pair a sufficient distance for the wall of an ash tray to 'be removably secured therebetween; (4) leg means comprising portions of said Wire, said leg means permitting said structure to stand on a flat surface and (5) means comprising portions of said single wire for joining said foregoing means into a unitary structure.

More particularly, I have found, in single Wire pipe structures comprising bowl prop means, stem prop means, and leg elements, the improvement which comprises (1) a substantially horizontal U-shaped portion near the center of said wire and terminating in a pair of substantially parallel spaced wire portions, said U-portion being near the top rear of said structure and being said stem prop means; (2) first substantially vertical and downward extensions of the pair of spaced wires proceeding from said U-portion toward the base of said structure; (3) first concave-upwardly arcuate and substantially parallel extensions of the pair of spaced wires proceeding forwardly from said first vertical extensions to form said base, said arcuate portions being leg elements and the concavity of said arcuate base being said bowl prop means; (4) substantially vertical and parallel upward extensions of said spaced wires proceeding from said base, said latter extensions being near the front of said structure; (5) substantially horizontal and parallel rearward extensions of said spaced wires proceeding from said front vertical extensions; (6) second substantially vertical and parallel downward extensions of said spaced wires proceeding from said horizontal extensions, said second vertical extensions being spaced rearwardly of said first vertical extensions a distance sufficient to provide for the insertion of the wall of an ash tray therebetween; and (7) second concave-upwardly arcuate extensions of the pair of spaced wires proceeding from said second vertical extensions, said second arcuate extensions being leg elements for said structure.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pipe support embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 and is taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of the structure of FIG. 1 showing the use of the pipe holder of the invention in combination with an ash tray, an ash tray and a pipe being shown in dashed lines; and

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the structure of FIG. 1 showing the pipe holder of the invention standing on a fiat surface, a pipe being shown in dashed lines.

With more detailed reference to the drawings, a pipe holding structure is made from a single wire 10. A U- shaped portion 11, formed near the center of the wire, serves as a prop for a pipe stem 12 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The U-sh-aped portion 1, preferably lying in a horizontal plane (as shown) is arranged to receive and support a pipe stem therein when said support structure is placed on a flat horizontal surface with the U-shaped member or portion uppermost, terminates in a pair of substantially parallel and spaced wires, such as at 13 and 14.

Substantially vertical downward extensions 15, 16 of the spaced and substantially parallel wires proceed from the U-shaped portion 11 downward to the base 17, 18 of the structure. Concave-upwardly arcuate extensions proceed forwardly (i.e. to the left in FIGS. 3 and 4) from the vertical extensions 15, 16 to form the bases 17, 18 which serve as leg elements for the pipe holder structure. The concavity formed by said arcuate extensions of the leg elements 17, 18 serve as the prop for a pipe bowl 19.

As used herein (as in the last paragraph), the terms vertical and horizontal refer to the structure of the invention in its position when standing on a flat surface such as a table top or shelf. It will be apparent that a portion of the wire structure which is vertical when the structure stands on a flat surface will be at an angle, perhaps 60 degrees from the horizontal, for example, when the structure is attached to an ash tray (as in FIG. 3, for example). Also, the terms rear and rearwardly and the terms front and forward are used only in a comparative sense to assist in the visualization of the structure. As is obvious from the drawings, the extensions 15, 17, 21, 23 and 16, 18, 20, 22 each form a looped portion, the looped portions being spaced from each other and adapted to support the bowl of a pipe between them.

Substantially vertically upward extensions 20, 21 of the substantially parallel pair of spaced wires proceed from the arcuate leg elementks 17, 18 and for mthe front from the arcuate leg elements 17, 18 and form the front of said structure; substantially horizontal extensions 22, 23 proceed rearwardly from said vertically upward extensions 20, 21; and substantially vertically downward extensions 24, 25 proceed from the horizontal extensions 22, 23.

Concave-upwardly arcuate extensions 26, 27 of the spaced wires proceed from the vertical extensions 24, 25, said arcuate extensions 26, 27 serving as leg elements.

In FIG. 3 the pipe holder of the invention is shown attached to an ash tray 28, the wall of the ash tray 28 being inserted and clamped between the vertical extension 24 and the juxtaposed vertical extension 16 and between the vertical extension 25 and its juxtaposed vertical extension 15.

The pipe holder of my invention can stand by itself on a flat surface (illustrated by line 29 in FIG. 4), in which event arcuate portions 17, 18, 26 and 27 of the single wire 10 serve as leg elements. When the pipe holder stands on a fiat surface such as a shelf, I prefer that the stem prop means 11 be positioned rearwardly of and upwardly from the bowl prop means 17, 18 in a manner such that a pipe stem, such as stem 12, will be in a fairly erect position; that is, something short of perpendicular;

in order that nearly a minimum of shelf space is occupied. In this instance an angle of about 50-80 degrees from horizontal is quite suitable.

It will be noted that clamping my pipe holding structure to the usually inclined side wall of an ash tray (see FIG. 3) results in reducing the angle of inclination of the pipe stem 12 but still maintains the mouth end of the pipe stem 12 higher than the bowl 19; for example, about 30 degrees from horizontal. Thus, when a pipe is being used and contains either hot or cold ashes, it may be temporarily held as shown in FIG. 3, a position in which ashes will not spill out of the bowl and saliva will not drain toward the mouth end of the pipe. When the pipe is not being used and is clean, it may be held as shown in FIG. 4, a position in which it occupies much less space on a shelf or the like.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiment of my invention is for the purpose of illustration only, and various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A single wire pipe support structure comprising a generally horizontally U-shaped member arranged to receive and support a pipe stem therein when said support structure is placed on a flat horizontal surface with said member upper-most;

each leg of said U-shaped member having a substantially planar clamping and sustaining element extending therefrom, each element comprising a substantially vertical first wire part extending downwardly from the portion of the U-shaped member opposite from the bite thereof, and

terminating in an arcuate portion forming a part-circular jaw member adapted to bear against the exterior of the bowl of a pipe having its stem supported in said U-shaped member while the structure is resting on a planar surface, said jaw member having a lower portion adapted to contact said supporting surface and an upper terminal portion having a straight tangential horizontal extension terminating in a second substantially vertical downwardly extending wire part, parallel to said first part and depending from said extension from intermediate the height of said first wire part, and

said second wire part having an upwardly open U- shaped portion at the lower end thereof, the lower end being located such that the bottom thereof and the lower portion of said jaw member would bear upon a planar surface while holding a pipe bowl clamped between said jaw members and the stem thereof resting in and supported by said horizontal U-shaped member.

2. The wire support structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second wire parts are substantially parallel and spaced apart such that the structure is adapted to be supported by an upwardly extending wall of a receptacle, said wire parts being adapted to clamp said receptacle therebetween.

. A single wire pipe support structure comprising a generally horizontally extending U-shaped member arranged to receive and support a pipe stem therein when said support structure is placed on a fiat horizontal surface with said member uppermost;

II. a clamping and sustaining element extending from each leg of said U-shaped member, each such element comprising (a) a substantially vertical first wire part extending downwardly from the portion of the U- shaped member opposite from the bight thereof, and

(b) a generally horizontally extending and upwardly curving arcuate portion at the terminal of said first wire part and forming a part-circu- 6 lar jaw member adapted to bear against the ex- (a) a substantially horizontal U-shaped pipe stem prop terior of one side of the bowl of a pipe having portion; its stem supported in said U-shaped member (b) a pair of substantially parallel portions extending while the entire pipe support structure is restdownwardly from the ends of said pipe stern prop ing on a planar surface, said jaw member hav- 5 portions and ing (c) a pair of looped portions (17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23) (1) a lower arcual portion adapted to coni formingapipe bowl support which are each connected tact said supporting surface, to said pipe bowl support portion by one of said paral- (2) an intermediate upwardly curving porlel portions and each forms a continuation of one of tion, and 10 said parallel portions and on which the entire single (-3) an upper terminal portion having a subwire pipe support structure rests when it is supported stantially horizontal extension terminating on a planar structure; in a second substantially vertical downthe improvement which comprises wardly extending wire part, parallel to said an extension of each of said loops which is bent downfirst substantially vertical downwardly exward, is spaced from the parallel portion connected tending part and depending from said exto its associated loop, and extends substantially paraltension from intermediate the height of said lel to said parallel portion whereby a wall of an ash first wire part, and receptacle may be resiliently clamped between said III. an upwardly open U-shaped portion at the lower parallel portion and said extension to support said end of said second wire part, said lower end being pipe support structure thereon. located in such manner that the bottom thereof and 6. The structure of claim 5 in which the extensions each the lower portion of said jaw member would each have a continuing upwardly bent portion thus forming a bear upon and be supported stably by a substantially rounded second point of support for said pipe support planar surface while holding a pipe bowl clamped structure when positioned upon a substantially horizontal between said jaw members and the stern thereof restsubstantially planar surface. ing in and supported by said horizontal U-shaped emb r, References Cited 4. The wire support structure as recited in claim 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS wherein said first and second wire parts are substantially parallel and spaced apart in such manner that 152498 1/1949 Roserib'aum' the structure is adapted to be supported by an up- 155790 11/1949 Epstem wardly extending wall of a receptacle, said wire pa-rts 578652 3/1897 131*257 p I 1,5 63,210 11/ 1925 Mclntire 131260 bemg adapted to clamp said wall therebetween. 1 695 5 2 5. In a single wire pipe support structure having a base 33 1 1928 Caldwell structure adapted at times to be supported upon a substan- 35 tially horizontal planar surface, said support structure SAMUEL KOREN P'lmary Exammer' having at such times JOSEPH S. REICH Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,335,732 August 15, 1967 Philip H. Vickery It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2 line 24 for "tht" read the column 3 line 17 for "U-shaped portion 1' read U-shaped portion 11 line 52, strike out "from the arcuate leg elementks 17, 18 and for mthe front"; column 6, line 8, for "pipe bowl" read pipe stem Signed and sealed this 14th day of January 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A SINGLE WIRE PIPE SUPPORT STRUCTURE COMPRISING A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY U-SHAPED MEMBER ARRANGED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT A PIPE STEM THEREIN WHEN SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE IS PLACED ON A FLAT HORIZONTAL SURFACE WITH SAID MEMBER UPPERMOST; EACH LEG OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR CLAMPING AND SUSTAINING ELEMENT EXTENDING THEREFROM, EACH ELEMENT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL FIRST WIRE PART EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE PORTION OF THE U-SHAPED MEMBER OPPOSITE FROM TH BITE THEREOF, AND TERMINATING IN AN ARCUATE PORTION FORMING A PART-CIRCULAR JAW MEMBER ADAPTED TO BEAR AGAINST THE EXTERIOR OF THE BOWL OF A PIPE HAVING ITS STEM SUPPORTED IN SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER WHILE THE STRUCTURE IS RESTING ON A PLANAR SURFACE, SAID JAW MEMBER HAVING A LOWER PORTION ADAPTED TO CONTACT SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND AN UPPER TERMINAL PORTION HAVING A STRAIGHT TANGENTIAL HORIZONTAL EXTENSION TERMINATING IN A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL DOWNWRDLY EXTENDING WIRE PART, PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST PART AND DEPENDING WIRE PART, EXTENSION FROM INTERMEDIATE THE HEIGHT OF SAID FIRST WIRE PART, AND SAID SECOND WIRE PART HAVING AN UPWARDLY OPEN USHAPED PORTION AT THE LOWER END THEREOF, THE LOWER END BEING LOCATED SUCH THAT THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID JAW MEMBER WOULD BEAR UPON A PLANAR SURFACE WHILE HOLDING A PIPE BOWL CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID JAW MEMBERS AND THE STEM THEREOF RESTING IN AND SUPPORTED BY SAID HORIZONTAL U-SHAPED MEMBER. 